Smart Home Summit

Below are the proceedings of a Summit to address research planning for the application of Smart Homes, held on 20-21 October 2015 in Palo Alto, California. This day and a half Summit was hosted by the Fire Protection Research Foundation, and is a supplemental effort to the earlier NIST funded project to address the “Research Roadmap for Smart Fire Fighting.” Here, “Smart” is understood to be the use of emerging technology relating to cyber-physical systems, and “Homes” is interpreted as where people sleep.

This effort focuses on the emerging trends in safe living where technology and fire safety intersect. The intent is to promote technological solutions for fire safety and emergency responder concerns. Summit participants represent a unique and rare gathering of the safety, homebuilding and technology communities. The program provides an overview of technological trends, technology and cyber physical systems, and the challenges of the residential fire problem.

A key deliverable from the Summit is the establishment of a collective voice from emergency responders and fire safety professionals to guide technology developers to effectively address the home fire problem. The event likewise clarified emerging trends, established networking dialogue, identified knowledge gaps/needs, and confirmed a vision for the future of safe residential living. Specific summary observations from the Smart Home Summit include the acknowledging the home fire problem, addressing technological solutions, and general overall observations on the Summit to assist with planning next steps.